Sunday, 30 June 2013

I recently reviewed 'Raging Death' here on the blog, the absolutely killtastic new album from Swedish death n' roll juggernauts Entrails. I described their sound thusly:

"... sicker than a bag full of maggots left out in the sun, and heavier than a giant's headstone".

Did I just quote myself? Yes I did. But you have to know just how badass this new album actually is. It's REALLY badass. So naturally I was chuffed when Metal Blade came back to the bosses and enquired as to whether or not I would like to interview the band.

So here we go, borrowing heavily from Aaron’s tried and tested '20 Questions' format (i.e., stealing completely - cheers), the blog known as Sludgelord proudly presents the band known as Entrails.

Enjoy.

SL) Hello gentlemen, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us here at Sludgelord. How you all and where are you are guy’s right now then?

Jimmy) Hello there. Here is everything perfect. Its summertime and rather nice weather so who can complain. The Swedish summer can be good and also terrible, this year it seems to be a mix...

In writing moment the other guys are at their homes I guess. Haven’t been asking them but I think there home taking it easy.

SL) Some of our readers may not know you too well. Could you give them a brief history of Entrails?

J) A band who started 1990 but never released anything because of many things like, bad recordings, no studio engineer, no money etc. and the list can be long, everything went against Entrails sort of and after a while the members dropped out one by one, And finding musicians around here in southern countryside at that time who liked DM was impossible so I closed the band down in like 1998. During those years I managed to make several songs that I re- recorded once again and how it was meant to be in 2009 and 2 demos was made. “Reborn” and “Human Decay” After that FDA Rekotz was signed and 2 albums was made “Tales from the Morgue” and “The Tomb Awaits” we have done some cool shows at Party San, Summer Breeze, Hell Inside, NRW Deathfest, Obscene Extreme, Extremefest and with good response. Lately we have signed Metal Blade and a new album is out “Raging Death”. A traditional Swedish DM Album.

SL) So what are your plans to see out the second half of the year? Any big touring plans or festivals?

J) So far only one show planned, Killtown Deathfest in Copenhagen in late Aug… the other guys in the bands are occupied with other things and projects and it’s hard to organize a longer tour.. But a 3-5 day tour wouldn’t be impossible to make in the future but right now there is nothing going on in planning anything, we have got some proposals but nothing major so we will see what happens.

SL) We loved 'Raging Death', I was lucky enough to be drafted for the review. Are you feeling confident heading into the live arena armed with such a killer record?

J) Hell yeah, I am totally satisfied with this album. And as I does the song writing I am happy that the old spirit is still present… and by that it’s no problem to heading into anything… just feels greatSL) This is album number three for you guys. How did the recording process go? Has it become easier over the years?

J) Well. It’s harder to find good riffs nowadays if you don’t want to have it too similar to something. That goes for every kind of music. And we don’t want to invent anything new so it’s a bit harder to play the classic Old school as the best riffs are taken. But I am not worried; there are many ways to go before everything is done once. Anyway, I do the music into a basic song and Jocke the lyrics and then we add the inputs from the others to sculpture the song.

SL) How is the heavy music scene doing in Sweden in 2013? Is it still as healthy now?J) To me it’s looking good. Many bands is doing good music but it’s not that many bands doing the classic styled Dm I prefer to listen to unfortunately but still there is creative bands doing their stuff..

SL) You have a distinct groove to your sound, but at your core you are a Death Metal band. Where do you think Entrails stands within such a diverse genre? Was your aim always to make it onto a big Metal label like Metal Blade?

J) Hmm. The songs become groovy in a natural way. Many influences and an own mind in the creativity I guess that’s the reason why it becomes in this way. I don’t know where we stand. Hopefully on safe ground. Otherwise it would be a mistake to even continue to believe in what we do. We have had a goal for a good and big label but never in my wildest dream I could imagine that Metal Blade would mail me and give us an offer…

SL) Sweden has a rich heritage of contributions to Death Metal. Who are some of your biggest influences among your fellow countrymen?

J) I would lie if I don’t mention Entombed, Grave, Dismember, Carnage, Nirvana 2002, God Macabre, Cemetery and Unleashed… Shortly you could say it’s the spine of the sunlight bands from the early days that inspired me, at least for the DM. then Slayer and a thrashier style was doing my day before that.

SL) Staying with influences, do you like to play any covers live? If not already, are there plans to play any covers live, or do you aim to keep your set strictly original material?J) On our first trip in Germany after our first album we did a cover with Dismember on stage but that’s all. The reason was that we needed material on stage and it’s easier to play a cover that the audience knows instead of trying to do a new song no one ever heard before… that’s the worst thing you can do. And from that day we have thought about playing one cover but it’s better to play our own stuff. Now we have material for doing a long show.SL) Is Entrails a full time gig, or do any of you have to hold down the fort with other employment? Do you find touring hard to organize around this at all?

J) Yeah. All of us have ordinary works, kids and families so it’s harder to organize any major stuff now and to have all part satisfied enough. 20 years ago that wouldn’t be any problems. But we really try to live our 90´s now and deliver when we got the chance on stage.

SL) Are you a fan of heavy music blogs? If so, how relevant do you think they are given the state of the recording industry in the present day?

J) I wouldn’t say am a fan, but I do read some of them if something cool is written or if there is reviews done on a band that’s sounds interesting.. SL) Staying with the modern recording industry, where do you stand on format? Are you fans of the physical or do you believe that downloads having merit?

J) Well. I don’t like the digital world but I am getting used to it finally and by now I use it myself in recordings and so on. I would use an old tape recorder to record our stuff but I can’t afford it.

Though the downloading is a bad thing as it have been so huge and doesn’t bring any big happy moments for any band today. Everything is eaten by the illegal shit. But still metal and hard music have a better audience and the true ones supports their bands and by that bands can keep on making more music.

SL) Going back to 'Raging Death', do you have some favourite cuts from the new record? Anything that you particularly like to play live, or that has been well received by audiences?

J) I would say the whole song “Carved to the Bone” it has many cool hooks and fun riffs. But we haven’t tried everyone yet as we only have done one show after the release. But I would like this one the best anyway I guess.

SL) How does the new material stack up in the set against the older stuff?

J) I would say it’s a draw. Every song have its thing so it’s impossible to set them into a position sort of. It’s a great and a simple follower to the previous ones in my opinion.

SL) Let's get technical, as your genre can be extremely. Do you have any favourite gear setups, or choices of product that you use? What would you recommend to our readers who wish to play DM?

J) It all depends in which style and which sound you wants to use, I can only speak for our own style, and by that Marshall Amps (JCM 900/800) is a must then of course this distortion pedal from Boss called “Heavy Metal 2” (Hm2) and with down tuned guitars and this equipment you can get very close to the music we do.

SL) You guys all seem to be veterans. What are your opinions on younger bands getting famous overnight, without paying any 'dues'? Is it all just BS, or do you think that they suffer long term by not gaining real road experience? Do you think it's sad that they might be missing out on those early experiences?

J) Yep. Old and with a lot of routine and experience, that’s us… Well if the band is doing it totally right I can’t see any bad things with that but it’s better to walk a bit longer path to be famous.. Over a night is too fast and will kill the band pretty soon. But its better they find out that by themselves.

SL) People always love a humorous tour incident! Got any to share, or are they all too ugly for public consumption?
J) Sorry but we haven’t been on the road so much that any funny moments have happened. And we aren’t that wild when we are on an event. Getting to old for that. Ha-ha

SL) It seems crazy to ask with such a fresh record out, but how long do you plan to tour 'Raging Death' for? Were there any goals that you set for yourselves with this album?

J) No touring planned! We will await offers for shows and festivals for now as I have wrote the reasons earlier in why we haven’t planned anything. The big and most important goal we had on this album was that it will be great enough for the fans out there and not be the album that tears the band into shit. The third album is always the one who will decide such thing and in that hole we wouldn’t drop into.

SL) Do you have a dream tour line-up? Any bands that you would like to play with, either established legends or new up and comers?

J) My personal favourites are Dismember (91´s setting), Morgoth (already done a tour with them) Carnage (original setting), and those 3 bands would be enough for me. Of course there are tons of bands but this line up is interesting.

SL) Finally, thanks again for talking to us. The floor is yours - do you have anything you would like to say to any fans that are reading, or any shows that we should know about?Thanks a lot for showing interest in us by doing this Interview.

And by that I could only say that easiest way to follow us in what we do or will be doing is to type www.facebook.com/entrails666 and keep on support us by buying our music and merch. That’s highly appreciated.

As ever, show your support to the band by checking them out at the various links. You can buy the record here. This record is available now. Thanks to Andy @ Metal blade for setting up the interview and Jimmy for his candour. You can read Matt's review here

"Boats is a blast from start to finish. Blending gut-wrenching vocals and heart-pounding riffs that feels like your being hit with a hammer. Though these guys have a great sense of humour to match the insane carnage on show.

Morality Crisis have delivered a weird and wonderful album that will surely see as one of the genres leading lights. Just I don't know which fucking genre they fit in and that is the beauty of this band.

Boats is an absolute must have!!!"

Well the guys have kindly done an interview with me. So lets see what these crazy mother-fuckers have to say to us as Sludgelord HQ.

Q1 – Hi Guys, Thanks for doing this. How are things with you guys Today.

Things are great Steve! It finally stopped snowing in Minnesconsin so we're enjoying the weather. I'm a little tired from a bitchin' weekend but life goes on.

Q2 – For people not in the know can you give them a brief history of the band and how it came about.

Our band started in Wausau, WI, in 2003, when we were 15 years old. While in high school we played all over Wisconsin and in a few surrounding states, and we recorded our first EP, "Love and Passion", which you can hear at our bandcamp. After high school we all moved to different places but stayed in touch and even played the odd basement show here and there. In that time we gradually began moving to Minneapolis, MN, and by 2011 we were all there. We started up again, released an EP at the beginning of 2012, and haven't looked back since.Q3 – How would you describe your sound. As even I have a hard time describing it.

Shitrock.

Q4 – Which bands and artists influence you directly as musicians.

Sleep, Yes, Karp, At the Drive-In, Deicide, GG Allin, Drive Like Jehu, Melvins, King Crimson, Boris. Our music teachers from middle and high school are still big influences on all of us.

Q5 – Are you all full time musicians or do you have regular jobs to pay the bills.

We’ve got jobs.

Q6 – Are your family and friends supportive of your music.

They're supporting of us as people and as musicians. Not so sure that they understand what we're doing, but they respect the musical relationship we've shared for so long.

Q7 – What is the song-writing process in the band. Is it a group collective or is just down to one individual.

The process is entirely collaborative. We stand around in a circle and hammer out riffs on the spot. Rarely someone will bring in a riff or a rhythm for us to expand on, but for the most part it's all done in the presence of one another. As for lyrics/subject matter, song titles/lyrics usually start as inside jokes between us that we expand upon and attempt to attach to something larger.

Q8 – Your new album – BOATS – is an absolute blast from start to finish. Congrats on that one. What the fuck is it about.

Thanks Steve! "Boats" are the tiny bubbles that float down a stream of piss. One night we were making boats in the alley after a show and we decided that our next album should be called "Boats". There isn't an overarching theme to the record, but in retrospect, themes could include: bitterness, being born a little bit retarded, drugs, bad women, and bad music.

Q9 – Was it an easy album to write and record for.

No, it was difficult as shit! For one, we became a three-piece last summer for the first time, so we were adjusting our songwriting scheme to fit the new band dynamic. We went through a pretty intense six-month songwriting period where we relearned our band dynamic, learning how to improve our communication and chemistry.

Recording was difficult as well. Our longtime George Martin's name is Adam Tucker and he's got a great studio called Signaturetone Recording. Adam wanted the production of this record to mimic our live chemistry, and to that end we made the decision not to doubletrack any guitar (as is the norm with heavy records), to not use click tracks, to jack up Jordan's bass in the mix, and to have the final mix non-limited - very quiet. It was taxing for everyone involved but it seems to have better solidified our band dynamic.

Q10 – Now your releasing the album on Vinyl which was made possible via the Kickstarter Project. Which has been very successful. Congrats on that one. Was that a hard decision to make to appeal to your fans to fund the Vinyl Pressing.

Thanks for your congratulations. Doing a Kickstarter campaign was definitely a bit of a decision. We figured that our campaign would essentially function as a pre-order of "Boats", and that doing so would allow us to fund a run of 200 records, while selling a good chunk of our run in the process. It was a little nerveracking to rattle the cup, so to speak, but our supporters definitely came out of the woodwork to support us and we’re grateful.

Q11 – Will you use Kickstarter again to fund future releases. Or was it for just this one time.

We're really not sure. On one hand, you don't want to take anybody's support for granted by constantly hounding people for money. We're incredibly humbled by the support we received for "Boats" and we do not want to take this support for granted. On the other hand, the changing nature of music marketing will call for a more direct link between artists and their audiences, and crowdsourcing is a natural extension of this. While we're not sure if we'll use Kickstarter again in the way we used it this time, crowdsourcing on a larger scale is something we'd like to explore.

Q12 – How big of a help has BandCamp been in getting your music across to the masses. Obviously Kickstarter has been a massive help.

Bandcamp has been huge for us! It's essentially a format now, like a 12" or a CD. It's great to have a customizable blank page to present your album, and they're only making it into more of a community with fan pages and discovernator. An incredible resource.

Q13 – In five words what is the Morality Crisis live experience like.

Enormous. Fucking. Death. Ass. Knife.

Q14 – Now your music has lots of black humour thrown into the mix. Especially with the song titles and lyrics themselves. Is humour a big part of the Morality Crisis experience. Or did you just want to have some fun with the album.

Humor is a huge part of the experience, it goes along with the collaborative nature of our band. When we're together we're constantly laughing our asses off so it's natural for the product to reflect that. We like when the listener is confused as to whether or not we're being funny or brutally serious, because most of the time we're not so sure ourselves.

Q15 – What are your favourite bands around at the moment. Do you listen to modern day rock/metal or do you just listen to the classic era of Stoner/Sludge/Doom/Post-Rock/Post-Metal.

Our favorite bands at the moment include Nerves, Earthrise, Ambassador Gun, Poney, Svoboda, and Maeth, just to name a few. Within the band you won't find a whole lot of agreement when it comes to heavy music, but here's what we've been jamming in the van lately: Yes, Kool Keith, Krallice, Accept Death, Bomb the Music Industry!, Clutchy Hopkins, Gary Wilson, the new Bisento tape, lots of classic rock and a questionable amount of top 40 radio.

Q16 – What are your views of blogs such as Sludgelord featuring and reviewing your records as opposed to mainstream magazines.

Blogging is the shit! It's awesome to see individuals take initiative to promote their favorite music and to drive the conversation. Most national publications place too much emphasis on image and culture anyways, whereas most dedicated bloggers I have come into contact with are much more focused on the music.

Q17 – What are your views record companies shutting down blogs and websites due to illegal downloading. Some people are for it and some people are against it.

Fuck the RIAA. Digital audio files do not contain any scarcity and should not be treated as if they do. Maybe if people in The Industry hadn't functioned so excessively and inefficiently for so long CD prices wouldn't have become so unreasonable. Now, they're seeing a public who no longer requires their shitty music cartel in order to find quality jams and the RIAA is freaking out.

Let 'em. Music is nothing more than information and information is supposed to be free and available to everyone. If a listener derives great joy from a record it’s reasonable to encourage them to purchase the physical product, but it’s no longer reasonable to expect everyone to pay for every song they ever hear. There’s just too much music (good problem to have, if you ask me).

Q18 – What are the most and least rewarding aspects of participating with the band. Obviously the reality of how expensive it is being in a band could be considered as a negative aspect.

Least rewarding: $, time spent neglecting friends and loved ones, the fact that I'm still a seventeen year old at age 25.

Most rewarding: making music we can be proud of and watching people respond to it, going excellent places and meeting excellent people, working with cool bands, serious memories that I'll cherish forever, the fact that I'm still a seventeen year old at age 25.

Q19 – What pisses you off most in music today. And if you could what would you change.

An endless loop of nostalgia that passes for innovation.

If I could change anything in music today, I'd change our band name to Bolt Thrower.

Q20 – What words of wisdom would you give to a band starting out or some friends wanting to start a band of their own.

Play lots of video games together, get a good drummer, get a whole bunch of amps and link them all together, only write music for yourselves, delay pedals are great for concealing ineptitude, listen to music of different styles than what you're trying to write, smash stuff all the time.

Q21 - Finally, Do you have anything to say your fans

Thanks for reading and for your support. HUGE thanks to our many kickstarter donors - we literally couldn't have done this without you. Be sure to watch and share our new video, "Enormous Fucking Death Ass Knife", http://vimeo.com/62565336. Also, big thanks to Adam Tucker for the huge sounds and endless wisdom, and to Will Leighton for his great work with the video. Well guys thanks for talking to me. Been great in talking to you guys. Good luck with your excellent album. All the best from Sludgelord.

Thank you talking to us Steve! We’re glad you dig “Boats”. Take care!

Well a huge thanks to Morality Crisis for taking the time out to talk to me. Check out their brilliant new album BOATS as it's available for free download on BandCamp. If you like what you hear then please buy the CD and Vinyl.

I featured these guys
back in 2012 when I reviewed their awesome début record – The
Blind Summit Recordings.

I originally said the
following: This is some of the finest hard-rocking 30 minutes
your ever going to encounter in 2012. It will leave you with a big
smile on your face. And it's an album you will be coming back for
more.

All in all an
outstanding release from another excellent band to check out.

Phil Lynott would
be proud of these guys. Fucking Awesome.

Well 8 months later the
awesome record label Freak Flag Recordings has just released The
Blind Summit Recordings on Vinyl. Plus they have just supported a
little known band by the name of Mastodon on their recent Irish Tour.

So I had to catch up
with these guys to see how they are doing.

Q1 – Hi guys. How are things with you today. Thanks for doing this.

Good man, cheers for asking us. We just finished recent gigs around Ireland with Caudal from Berlin and we had the Mastodon gigs in Dublin before that so it has been a pretty busy few days.

Q2 – Can you give people a brief history on how the band came about.

Myself and Ken (drummer) had played in another band round 8 or 9 years ago and had always talked about doing something again. When he moved to Galway to start a new job we started jamming with each other and throwing ideas together. We jammed for around six months with 2 other guys who both ended up leaving, one to join a big indie band and the other to travel India. So soon after that Steve joined on bass and Higgins came in shortly after on guitar and fit in great. Higgins came in with the riffs to Cosmonautical Mile so it was a good start.

It was good to have someone else who could write which took a bit of pressure of myself. We all have a mutual love of Sabbath, Rory Gallagher, Neurosis and a few others so it's good to have reference points when you're writing or explaining ideas to, or sometimes at each other haha.

Q3 – You released your début album – The Blind Summit Recordings – last year. It received some great praise from the Sludge/Stoner Metal community Were you happy with the responses you received.

Yeah it was great, totally unexpected. We were really surprised by the response from the blogs and the reviews we were getting. Cheers for your own review, we really appreciated it. The reviews were mostly positive which was a great way for people to check out the band and we got a good few downloads on bandcamp. It's always good to hear people say nice things about the band. We still have a lot to improve on in the band so we are not walking around thinking we are fucking great because a site said so. We definitely appreciate the kind words but I know not to read too much into it. We still have a long way to go to better the the last release with the next songs we write.

Q4 – Was it an easy album to write and record for. And if so would you change anything about the album since it now has been released.

Mostly it came together quickly. Myself and Ken butt heads about song ideas sometimes but that's normal in any band. We know how to tell each other something isn't working without any big drama. The hardest thing about writing was just balancing everyone's schedules. At the time of the recording 3 of us were working long hours in our jobs so caffeine was the saviour of the writing at times.

The run up to the recording definitely bottle necked and 2 songs came together pretty quickly, Old Blood and All Roads were the last to be written before recording and were still being worked on the week before the recording.

There's not a whole lot of things I would change about the recording. I would have liked to have recorded more songs and maybe layered one or 2 more guitar tracks. We had an acoustic thing that we were working on that didn't get recorded that will prob be on a future release. I try to avoid listening to a recording once it's mixed and mastered cos I don't want start thinking about things we could have added. I try to just let it go and hope people are into it.

Q5 – Your all involved with different bands such as Rites, Them Martyrs and Gummidge. Is Harvester classed as your main band or just another great band your apart of.

We try not to class bands as the main one as it's a bit weird for the other bands. I don't play in Them Martyrs anymore as I currently live in Edinburgh and they wanted stay as active as possible. They'll probably be touring later in the year. Rites have recently called it a day but that was never seen as problem as they were never any clashes with gigs or practices that I can think of. We just mainly try not to put any band over another. It's my main band as I am not in any other bands currently.

Q6 – Is it hard to find the time to get all the band members together as no doubt your busy with other projects.

Yeah it's more difficult as I have recently moved to Edinburgh to do a masters in composition for film but we are doing our best to work around it. I send them riff ideas and videos to work on and they send me stuff. We wrote a new song in one practice for the most recent gigs that I had sent them. It might work out better as there is less fucking around because of the short amount of time we have to write together. It's only really around 5 hours traveling so it's something I'll be getting used over the next while.

Ken also has a pretty hectic job as a forest manager but you just get the fuck on with it.

Q7 – Is there a scene for you to perform regularly in your home town or do you have to perform further afield.

Yeah there's a pretty good scene in Galway with regular gigs every week from a combination of local and touring bands. We all have been playing in diy/crust/hardcore bands for around 15 years so we know everyone from gigging round Ireland playin anywhere and everywhere.Q8 – What is the gig scene like in your home-town and Ireland in general.

The gig scene in Galway is pretty good. It's mostly based around hardcore punk bands just doing it for fun. There are 1 or 2 bands that have toured properly like Bachuss and Only Fumes and Corpses but mainly the bands just enjoy gigging locally which is a shame as there are some great bands. There have been less younger bands coming in lately which is a shame. There are fewer new kids playing these days but that will hopefully change in the future.

Many of the people that were playing in bands 10 years ago are still playing. The only difference is that they are the ones running the gigs now as there is a strong diy work ethic there. Gigs have recently been happening in alternative venues to pubs and clubs in practice spaces. The scene in Ireland is pretty healthy, mostly punk or hardcore based. It's a pretty tight knit scene, everyone knows everyone. There's always bands coming over from the US or Europe so there's always something happening.

Q9 – Your début album has just been released on Vinyl via Freak Flag Recordings. How did that come about. (Yes I have bought my copy already. 9 of 250).

Cheers, thanks for buying it. That came about by Gary from Freak Flag downloading it from bandcamp and emailing us. Initially it was going to be a run of tapes but we bullied him into doing a vinyl release. At first we were a bit apprehensive about it as people contact us regularly offering things and nothing comes of it but he was really professional about it and he laid everything out in great detail so we were really happy that he contacted us. It's a cool, really well run label and the other bands on it are great.

Q10 – Lovely package it is too. Superbly designed with some cool packaging. Did you have a say with the design of the vinyl cover or was that all down to the label itself.

Thanks, yeah the design was put together by our bass player Steve. He did a great job and it was his first time at doing any of that kind of stuff. Gary from the label basically let us do whatever we wanted so we were happy to go ahead with the design we had previously for the download.

Q11 – What is your fave track off the album.

Probably Old Blood as it's the one of the most recent ones we wrote and I like the guitars on it. There's no fat on the song it's all just riffin. It's definitely a tap your head, rub your belly song for me to play and sing live.

Q12 – The UK and Irish Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal scene is currently on the rise with many brilliant bands currently out there. Which bands are you currently digging. Any you like to recommend to our readers.

I haven't really been keeping up with the scene as much as I would have liked so I'm probably not too hip on newer bands. Headless Kross from Glasgow are really good, great guys. Slomatics from Belfast are also cool. Conan, Rites, Trenches are ones that come to mind.Q13 – Do you guys have full times jobs to contend with. Or is music classed as your full time job.

For myself music is my full time job. Right now I teach guitar and I will hopefully be making a living from scoring music for fillm/tv in the future after I finish in college. Ken works as a forest manager and is pretty busy with that. Steve is helping out in a tattoo shop in Galway and Higgins is training to be a guitar builder. We don't make much money doing this band, we just do it for the love of it.

Q14 – Are your family and friends supportive of your music and the decisions you make when performing with your respective bands.

Yeah, they're all really supportive. The level of interest from family members is different for everyone, I know Steve's dad is really into the band and was already a huge fan of Thin Lizzy and Rory Gallagher.

Q15 – Which bands and artists influence you on your music. And have you met any of your musical heroes.

For us as a band I would say probably, Sabbath, Neurosis, Thin Lizzy, Neil Young, mostly old stuff. I listen to loads of different stuff, Django Reinhart, Jesus Lizard, anythin as long as it's good. As a kid I loved Sepultura, Nirvana, Slayer, that kind of stuff. Chaos A.D was a huge album for me as kid. Refuse/Resist was one of the first riffs I learned. When we met Mastodon recently that was pretty cool. I tried not to bother them.

Q16 – What is the song-writing process in the band. Is it a group collective or is it down to one individual.

It's a collaborative thing. Mainly it's one guy bringing in a bunch of riffs with a vague structure and we try stuff out til we're happy with it. I wrote about 80% of the stuff on The Blind Summit Recordings. We mostly do riffs before getting together with Ken so we have most of the work done structure wise. It changes for every song, I try to be open to moving things around to get the best song.

Q17 – What are the most and least rewarding aspects of participating with the band. Obviously the reality of how expensive it is being in a band could be considered as a negative aspect

The most rewarding aspects for me is getting the van and having a great time playing gigs. I enjoy recording too. I can't really complain about negative aspects. We just finished a small tour with Caudal and played with Mastodon for 2 nights in Dublin. We didn't lose any money and have a small amount for future recordings/tours. Freak Flag also released our vinyl in the middle of all of that. I can't really complain. I hate to read about other musicians complaining, shut the fuck up and get on with it. The good out weighs the bad.

Q18 – You just recently supported Mastodon on their Irish Tour. How did that come about and how did the Mastodon fans treat you.

That was great. It was a real eye opener to see how a huge band operates. I messaged Mastodon about the gigs through facebook and didn't think anything of it. Bill Kelliher messaged us back asking for the recordings. At first we thought it was a joke that one of our friends were pulling on us. I emailed him the recording and he replied saying he requested his management for us to support them. The band and crew were all really helpful and easy going. We had few beers with Brent on the first night and Bill was really cool to us also. The Mastodon fans were grand. I didin't expect all of them to like us, we sold a good bit of merch so someone thought it was cool.

Q19 – If you could provide any advice to people wanting to start a band, what would it be.

It would probably be just be stubborn about playing and practicing. Also be prepared to be patient with people. At times it might seem like things are against you but you need to use your stubbornness to your advantage. This is starting to sound like hardcore lyrics haha.

Q20 – So what are your future plans for the next 12 months or so.

At the moment we'll be writing trading stuff back and forth on the internet and there will be another tour before the end of the year. We will be able to play much more when I finish up in college so hopefully we will get into the studio next year for another release followed by more touring and drinking.

Q21 – Finally do you have anything to say to our readers.

Thanks for checking out the band. You can keep up with gigs and future releases here.

I'm sure you'd agree that there have been some mighty fine vinyl splits this year. Cough/Windhand, Sardonis/Eternal Elysium just to name a few. This one could take the cake, though; I think it's really something else. Not only is it one of the sweetest-looking splits I have bought this year, it also has some of my favorite music.

Totem Cat Records (France) has released what could possibly be my number-one vinyl split of the year with Cyclopean Riffs, spanning 40 minutes and featuring two unreleased songs from both Wo Fat and Egypt. This is a match made in the midwestern heat that burns hot and heavy.

Did you notice the title had the word, "riffs" in it? Okay. Just checking because that's what this release is all about. You already know the bands and you know they both bring it. They're heavy and bluesy - supersoaked with riffage - and they both rock hard. Nuff said.

Side A: Wo Fat. This side is more upbeat. Get down with your bad self. "Nameless Cults" and "Electric Hellhound". Recorded an mixed by Kent Stump at Crystal Clear Sound, Dallas, Texas, USA.

Side B: Egypt. This side is more desert doom and a bit more crusty. Ouch. "Blood Temple Hymn" and "Ancient Enemy". Recorded and mixed by Neal Stein at The Opium Den, Moorhead, Minnesota, USA.

The cool-looking 12" lp is pressed on grey/clear wax and is limited to 500 copies. Artwork and design by Flog Diver. Snag this epic split via Bandcamp or Totem Cat Records. Now.

Snailface have been one of my fave bands for the last few years now. If you don't know Snailface then where the fuck have you been over the last few years. Well you might know them as Kowloon Walled City. Brilliant Sludge/Noise Rock warriors who have released a string of critically acclaimed releases.

Snailface is their crazy as fuck genre defying alter ego focusing on extra-ordinary tales of near impossiblity. Remember their last excellent album - II - from a few years back. Focusing on the search for Bigfoot.

Well their latest album is all about mankind's most dangerous and perilous things they can ever do - CAMPING. I will let the band explain more.

"Three or four years ago, the running joke at KWC practice was to sing
“Bigfoot’s floatin’ a canoe down the river.” I don’t know how or why
that came to be, but after a month of dumbass variations on “Bigfoot’s
floatin’ a canoe down the river”, it was obvious that Snailface II would
be about Camping Bigfoot. Not surprisingly, that turned out to be TOO
MUCH CONCEPT for one record, so Snailface II focused simply on Bigfoot.

And now, the two-album cycle is complete. We give you Snailface IV:
an entire record devoted to songs about camping. Seven dinosaur-era
prog rock half-assterpieces, meticulously thrown together over a few
weekends. You might think “I waited three years for this bullshit?
Camping?! There’s no way you could get seven songs out of that.” And
you’d be right.

You probably don’t even know Snailface exists. Believe me, few do.
But as always, this is not to be mistaken for a Kowloon Walled City
record."

So Snailface have now turned their attention to the prog rock world. Well why not. Earlier releases Snailface and Snailface II tore the Sludge/Stoner Metal convention on its head. Only right that 70's Hard Rock/Prog Rock now has the Snailface treatment.

But why is that Snailface IV is such an outstanding record of amazing riffs running through out. Sure there is a lot of laughs to be had along the way. If it's the band telling you how to put out a fire simply by pissing on it. Or getting the cold shoulder from your special lady while in the wilderness.

It shows that Kowloon Walled City sorry Snailface will leave you smiling through out the entire 45 mins or so while making you rocking out to the great riffs on show. Even the song titles will make you laugh out loud.

How about this song title - Sex Dreams of the Siula Grande (The Many Breasts of Mama Allpa)

What does it mean. Who the fuck knows but other than Snailface. Serious songwriting this ain't but it's still a brilliant record you should all check out now.

For you horror movie fans you have an added extra bonus to check this out. As Victor Miller creator of Jason Voorhees provides narration on the album as well. Victor also provide narration on Snailface II as well. So it's great to hear his superb tones once again. (Victor's son - Ian is the bassist for both KWC and Snailface.)

All in all Snailface IV is a brilliant album from start to finish. It might take loving pot-shots at the whole 70s Hard Rock/Prog Rock era but it can stand on it's own merits as a brilliant hard rocking album packed full of great songs and riffs.

Snailface IV is another excellent record from these bunch of crazy bastards. You can download this on BandCampBuy Now Deal. So what are you waiting for. Get downloading now.

DETERIOR is a One Man Sludge/Post-Metal Artist from Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Deterior is the Sludge/Post-Metal alter ego of Andrew Arnold. A highly
talented individual who releases music from a whole range of genres.
Grindcore, Ambient, Noise, Sludge and Post-Metal.

Deterior is a band who I have featured on the blog a few time now. The last time being when I reviewed his last excellent album - Men Like Gods back in Nov 2011.

Well Deterior is back with possibly his finest work to date - Torchbearer - Yeah I know I said this about his last album - Men Like Gods - but damn!!! - Torchbearer is on another level altogether. 5 tracks that run for a breathtaking 45 mins or so.

Andrew/Deterior has came back stronger and better than ever. Torchbearer is probably the heaviest album he has released so far under his Deterior alter ego. Andrew also releases other excellent and hard-hitting extreme metal releases as well. Just that Deterior is my fave project of his.

If your into Isis, Neurosis. The Ocean and other bands of that ilk then your going to dig Deterior big time like I do. Anyway back to the album. First track - Diaspora - is a 6:31 minute epic highlighting what Deterior is all about. Sublime Sludge/Post-Metal riffs and superb harsh based vocals to match.

Please remember that Andrew does everything himself here. A one-man Sludge/Post-Metal wrecking crew. If you are a fan of artists such as Judd Madden and Cloudkicker then you will know what to expect here.

Deterior has added a more experimental vibe to his music like ever before. He starts adding haunting soundscapes to his music and the ambient experimental nature from earlier releases makes a welcome return as well. Though Deterior still never forgets to add a healthy dose of Black Metal carnage as well.

2nd track - Artifacts of a Burning World - is an almost 12 minute epic full of breathtaking riffs to punish your senses too. At first the track is all calm and peaceful before all hell breaks loose. Wait until the 3rd minute or so before Deterior unleashes an all out attack on your senses. Awesome stuff. It's one of the albums best tracks and features some of the best instrumental work that Andrew has ever laid down before us.

I am not going to do a track by track review as you need to experience Torchbearer for yourselves. It will leave you shaken at times but it's such a rush you want to experience it over and over again. I will say this for the album. Wait till you experience the 15:09 epic title track - Torchbearer.

Torchbearer is probably the finest track Andrew has written to date. What a journey that track will take you on. Haunting Post-Rock/Ambient driven vibes mixed with it's more violent Sludge/Post-Metal counterpart. Just play this track at full blast and be prepared to be amazed. All this brutal and amazing work is all done by one man. DETERIOR!!!

Torchbearer showcases once again that Andrew Arnold is one of the finest Sludge/Post-Metal Maestros the genre has to offer. I hope he continues Deterior's journey for many years to come as he is still a personal favourite act of mine. And while I am still around I will always spread the word of Deterior.

Torchbearer is brilliant and breathtaking release. You can download all of Deterior's albums on BandCamp Buy Now Downloads. So get downloading now and check out a brilliant artist. You won't be sorry.

I am going to let this great band tell you all about themselves as you need to check these excellent Sludge/Doom Metal Band now!!!

We are currently the
only active doom/sludge band in Boston that I know of that play the
style we play. Think Burning Witch, Asunder or Moss, etc. Played our
first show with Floor & Thrones back in March and have since played
with bands such as The Body, Sea of Bones, Order of the Owl, Sannhet,
Rozamov, SET, Finisher and many others.

Going on our first east coast tour this coming July from the 18th - 28th with Finisher.

Our upcoming EP that was record at
Labyrinth Audio in MA and mixed/mastered by Greg Wilkinson of Earhammer
Studios in Oakland, CA. The cover artwork was done by
Bryan Proteau of Clovenhoov/Natvres Mortes Illvstration.

We
have a schedule release date of early July as of right now for the self
titled EP. With more information forthcoming very soon on how to
order/what not.

Well the guys have let me listened to their forthcoming debut S/T EP -And it's a work of insane twisted genius. 2 tracks running for about 14 mins altogether. You can hear the first track - Coiled, Alone on BandCamp now. It's a track full of eerie atmospherics with creepy based Doom/Sludge Metal riffs.

But it's the epic 9:23 minute track - Dasein - where the band come into their own. This track has a life of it's own. Dark, Brutal and uncompromising as well. It's a track which really shows what Fórn can really do. Brutal riffs which could hypnotise an entire audience to do whatever the band tells them to do.

Fórn do mix things a bit by throwing in faster paced riffs amongst the slower drone based riffs and it's a perfect match made from the depths of hell itself.

All in all this debut EP does what it needs to do. Showcasing a great band to look out for in the future. If you get the chance to see them on their forthcoming tour then you could be in for something special indeed.

Fever Dog is a band firmly rooted in the vast wastelands of the hot desert sun. How else would you come up with sounds epic as this. Their blend of Psych Desert/Stoner Rock will leave you begging for more.

It's great to see a band paving their own way in the Stoner Rock world without bowing down to past bands and influences. And Fever Dog are band like that.

Their latest release - Lady Snowblood - is a work of genius. Melodic, moody, dreamy, experimental and all together mysterious. All this from a Stoner Rock Band. Yeah folks. This is some excellent fucked up riffs which oozes atmosphere.

Fever Dog have been around a while and I must apologise for ignoring them after all this time. As they are a band with serious talent. They are probably one of the coolest Stoner Rock Bands I have had the chance to hear in 2013. No question. These guys are going somewhere.

Their latest release - Lady Snowblood - is 2 songs that runs for a near perfect 25 mins or so. The 2nd track - Hats Off To Andrew Bowen - is an incredible 15 minute live track that sent chills down my entire body. Not one mistake made.

An excellent end to such a great release. It's available on Buy Now Download on BandCamp. If you like what you hear then you can buy their debut album Volume One on Bandcamp now.

Bitterness is a band I have featured before on the blog back in July 2012. A year later the band have asked me to review their latest brutal opus - IV. A Place Of Many Ghosts.

11 songs and 42 minutes of pure crushing heavy as fuck sludge metal riffs snarled right at you from the very start. It's probably the bands heaviest work to date. First track - White Shores - will show you what to expect. The most famous speech from classic war film - Full Metal Jacket - before the band unleashes their blend of Hardcore/Sludge Metal to an angry mob with you the listener in attendance.

The album is fast, loud and angry right from the word go but all done with such passion and awareness that you will soon be wishing to join this loud and brutal bunch of angry renegades. Nothing is going to stand in Bitterness Exhumed's way. Either join the party or you will be fucked up along the way. Your choice. Comply or Die. Simple choice fuckers!!!

Bitterness Exhumed have some great guest musicians to join the party - Nico Webers from Metalcore bruisers - War From A Harlots Mouth on one the albums standout tracks - Thoughts Of Denail. 3:37 mins of pure crushing violence that will leave you a physical nervous wreck.

There is no middle ground with A Bitterness Exhumed. They play with such a ferocious violent nature that their music should come with a health warning of some sort. But you can't deny the power of their music. All of the songs are expertly written and you might even find some great riffs amongst the carnage.

It feels the album was built for one thing. To destroy everything in sight. And that's what this hardcore mob of Sludge destroyers do. They will blast your hearing and some other senses into oblivion. But it's a journey worth taking over and over again.

Check out other excellent tracks - Catharsis, Bound To Break, Filth and Unreflected. Bitterness Exhumed have released an excellent album that will find many fans within the Hardcore/Sludge Metal scene. It has more than enough passion to start a min-revolution on it's own. If you hear this song at your local rock club and if you want to live. Move the fuck out of the way as this song will cause a violent reaction from the people around you!!!

Peacemaker were formed in London in 2010. Sam Taylor and Rich Maw- former members of Humberside death metal band Infliction- contacted former Satanic Fatwa bassist Al Lawson and embarked a musical quest. Eschewing any scene, trend or nod to what was currently in vogue, they instinctively knew they had to play: True, Old School, Doom Laden Metal.

With an album of music written and rehearsed the search was on for a vocalist. Ravens Creed (and former Satanic Fatwa) front man Al Osta was recruited from his lair in Leeds and quickly pledged his allegiance to the cause.

Death to the Betrayers. Welcome to the Fifth Circle of Hell

Line-up:

Al Osta – Vocals

Richard Maw – Drums

Al Lawson – Bass

Sam Taylor – Guitar

Review:

The stoner rocking doomsters, Peacemaker, are back! After getting much deserved attention from their "Album Sampler" teaser, "Cult .45" really showcases their full arsenal. With their eyes set on the horizon, these Londoners are ready to shove the barrel down your throats.

"The Siberian Problem" has riffs galore. It will have you chanting, "BLOOD AND SOIL!" with clenched fists for days. The same goes for "Follow The Rats." Al Osta's lyrics create such great imagery! Landscapes of destruction and death fill your mind in the most pleasurable way. "Dead Man's Keys" and "Mane of Serpents" let you catch your breathe and appreciate the slower pace. The sequencing of "Cult .45" is well thought out and really helps the listener enjoy the album to its fullest potential.

With your pipe reloaded and ready to go, "Soul Cheater" turns up the heat! Bust out your air guitar and try not to break a string. "Journey of the Faithful" really felt like a journey that you want to experience over and over again. A well crafted song that's over before you know it. Rich Maw's drumming, Al Lawson's bass wizardry, and Sam Taylor's riffs and solo make this song a highlight for me. Hell, this whole album is a highlight for me. A very solid release! Proof given in "Sorrow Trip," which brings the doom! This is mother-in-law heavy. Down tuned to hell and slower than your worst work day. Closing out the album, the instrumental "Grey Sky" makes you fall back to earth so that you can press play all over.

Peacemaker came with guns blazing! Loaded with heavy slugs, "Cult .45" is a triumphant debut that gets better with every listen. Pick up the CD from Distortion Plus sometime this coming week and stream it now right here, exclusively, at The Sludgelord!

Words : Jason Cantu

As ever, show your support to the band by checking them out at the various links. You can buy the record here. This record is available now. Thanks to Rich and Al for hooking us up with the record for review. You can stream the record here.

Honesty is always the best policy, I find: and I’m not familiar with Amon Amarth.‘Deceiver of the Gods’, their brand new album, has only just come out and I’ve been given the task of reviewing it.Here goes…

[5 minutes later]

… well, I have to go do my Viking death metal homework.Just, gimme a sec…

[Quite a bit later]

So this is the ninth studio album from the Swedish metallers, following on from – and building upon – the shredding terror that is 2010’s ‘Surtur Rising’.If it’s music that makes you want to swing an axe or terrorize an unsuspecting coastal village this summer, then I think you’ve found the perfect soundtrack for your pillaging.

Firstly, the twin guitar attacks of Johan Söderberg and Olavi Mikkonen are simply majestic and destructive, twin swords wielded by a berserker warrior bent on raising all Hellfire and brimstone.Perfect examples of this are title track ‘Deceiver of the Gods’, ‘Shape Shifter’ and ‘Coming of the Tide’.These guys remind me of the classic Gorham/Robertson combo in Thin Lizzy… if they’d grown up on a mountain and only ate what they killed.

This is an album of great scope, immense talent and seething rage.These ten tracks are yet another set of skull-splitting, shield-smashing classics that will stand proudly alongside Amon Amarth’s frothing back catalogue.Personal highlights for me include the title track, ‘Hel’ (which features Messiah Marcolin from Candlemass adding his vocal darkness to proceedings) and ‘Warriors of the North’.This latter offering is also over eight minutes long, and I do love my epics.This is the Beowulf of songs: full of lyrical adventure, riffs built like longboats and passion seeping through every note played and word uttered.

Amon Amarth is a band any lover of myths and metal would cherish: ‘Deceiver of the Gods’ is simply a brilliant record, vital and timeless like the Viking legends of which they sing.If it’s high adventure and head-banging action you’re after this summer, don’t look for it in your local cinema.Instead, grow your beard long, paint your face, and play this mighty album at top volume, screaming ‘VALHALLA!’ as you do.It’s the only choice to make, really.

Words by: Chris Markwell

As ever, show your support to the band by checking them out at the various links. You can buy this release in Europe here and N. America here. This record is available now. Thanks to Andy@ Metal Blade Records for the hook up

Swiss Grind monsters return to the fold with their second Relapse full length ‘Flies Will Starve’. Four years in the making, ‘Flies Will Starve’ further establishes Mumakil as behemoths of the grind-scene---24 overgrown songs of pounding blasting fury that make you feel like you’ve been run over by a herd of the fictional multi-tusked elephant beasts from which the band derived their name. An absolute must for grind-freaks the world over

Line-up

Jéjé- Guitars

Thomas – Vocals

Benjamin Droz – Bass

Kevin Foley - Drums

Review

FUCKING. GRIND. CORE.

That's what this is. Mumakil have a new album dropping over at Relapse, a fresh stab at world grind domination apparently. I am admittedly a new victim to their particular brand of brutal assault, but after subjecting myself to 'Flies Will Starve' I am totally onboard the Muma-cruise. Crazily enough, they're from Geneva. Doesn't stop them from dishing out the audio torture though, thankfully...

'Death From Below' is an insane album opener, as instantaneous and no nonsense as grind can possibly be. It's a very clean and fresh brand of grind though, be it because of, either the production or the technicality. Whatever it boils down to it sounds superb and impactful, and extremely vital. I'm all for a 'raw' sound, don't misunderstand me, but the quality of this record is HUGE due in large part to the high standards of the band. And this track is vicious; the blasts will knock you backwards. The vocal delivery will grab you by the throat and swing you round the room by it. This is some INTENSE shit, people.

'War Therapist' has a monster riff under it's arm, and it ain't afraid to use it as a weapon. This thing could liquefy skulls if played at substantial enough volume.

'Designed To Fail' lands double bass beats like grenades going off in a grenade factory, that was built on top of an ancient Indian grenade burial ground. BANG.

'Hailing Regression' is positively manic, like somebody strangling Godzilla to death. Awesomely offbeat signatures start the track, all the while being accompanied by that sick drumming.

'Waste By Definition' is partially more straightforward in structure (or as much as this psychotic album can be), but it still absolutely kills. A really catchy rager, and a certified pit starter. I bet this will turn venues to rubble when initiated live.

There are so many crazy highlights on this beast. 24 tracks and not a single skipper, it's hard to cover it all or even begin to do it all the justice it deserves. Being a Mumakil newcomer I entered unto this fray with no expectations, and I walked out the other side with a new record to add to my list of favourites. 'Flies Will Starve' will make your ass grow teeth, just so it can kick you in both at the same time. It's THAT good. Available worldwide from 25/6/2013, go grab yourself a copy ASAP.

Words by : Matt Fitton

As ever, show your support to the band by checking them out at the various links. You can buy this release here. This record is available now. Thanks to Becky @ Pioneermusicpress for the hook up

Band Submissions

To those bands who have recently issued their first demo or album via bandcamp and would like to be featured on our 666 Pack Review or considered for a full review or stream please contact Aaron via email including your EPK, band bio, album file or download code, including artwork.

To those bands issuing their sophomore record and so on and would like to be considered for a review or stream on the blog. Get in touch using the same address above

We will consider bands from any genre but exclusively stoner, sludge, doom, psych, post-metal, experimental, black-metal etc. (Whilst I would like to respond to every email, this is not always possible.) Thanks